Gov’t to grant permits for Eldorado Gold’s Olympias project this week

Greece will grant Canada’s Eldorado Gold outstanding permits for its Olympias project this week, its Energy Minister George Stathakis said on Wednesday.

Dozens of Eldorado Gold workers rallied outside the energy ministry in Athens on Wednesday to protest against potential job losses after the Canadian company threatened to suspend investment at its Greek mines, demanding permits and clarifications on an upcoming arbitration process.

“Licencing for Olympias…will be concluded in the coming days, today and tomorrow,” Stathakis said. “Three permits will be issued as we announced in August, allowing Olympias to be fully operational.”

Stathakis added that issues in dispute over Eldorado’s Skouries project and a metallurgical plant will be discussed during an arbitration process which is starting on Wednesday.

The process is expected to last until December. [Reuters]